The bitter SNP leader, who humiliatingly was on the losing side in the Scottish and EU referendums, put referendums to the top of her agenda at the party conference in Glasgow.

Faced with negative ratings in the polls, the Scottish First Minister tried to revive her flagging political career with a call for more votes on Britain’s future as she tries to hold off the challenge from popular Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Let me just, for the sake of clarity we have a mandate for this parliament.

“We won that mandate last year but after the general election I heard clearly people saying with the uncertainty of Brexit it was premature to be definitive about a timescale right now.”

She added: “So I have said I will not consider the timescale until there is a greater clarity about the Brexit talks.

“And with her penchant for re-running democratic referendums, it’s no surprise to hear her hint at another vote.

“But the people of Scotland are sick of these games, and want a government who will get on and make a success of Brexit, not use it to stoke grievance.”

And even at her own party conference her position of “Scotland independent in the EU” was being challenged by senior SNP members.

Ahead of the conference SNP former Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick said she had abandoned supporting the policy because of Brussels’ refusal to protect Catalonia from Spanish police brutality.

After a visit to the Spanish province which is pushing for independence, she said: “I voted last year to remain in the EU.

“I look at what they have allowed and enabled to happen in Catalonia and I don’t want any part of it. Right now, I cannot see any advantages of being part of the EU when we have got its leaders refusing point blank to intervene and condemn the actions of Spain.”